Queen’s Stone – Col Grant unveiling Charles and Diana marriage plaque
The photograph was taken by the late Finlay MacRae who was a District Officer in the Forestry Commission based in Dingwall at the time. The images are courtesy of his daughter Donna.
This stone cairn was initially erected on the Sluggan Pass area in 1935 to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V and in honour of the occasion the newly acquired forest area was named as The Queen’s Forest. A King’s Forest was so named in Suffolk and in Wales one named Coed –y-Brenin (King’s Forest).
It appears that the monument was dismantled and re-erected closer to Loch Morlich about the time of the Charles and Diana royal wedding and the wedding plaque was added. To further commemorate the occasion native Scots pine were planted in the prepared ground surrounding the cairn. The photograph features Col Grant of Rothiemurchus unveiling the plaque watched by a group including members of the Forestry Commission North Conservancy staff. Bob Cathie Conservator North Scotland is nearest to the camera.
The PDF link below shows another view of the group and the plaque. Can other people be identified? Follow on photo numbers depicts the tree planting process.
The monument is still in the forest just across the road from the Loch Morlich car park but the Queen’s Forest name has fallen out of use in favour of that of Glenmore Forest.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Groups of people